Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-09-17

OF danger TO he In the strong powers Of the Fed
believed that such powers were necessary 20 It's
safe conduct and continued existence were In the
r1ght. The attempted destruction ot the Union by
eleven States, which were part OF IT. and the AZ.
parent temporary success OF the effort, was uu.
doubtedly due 10 the capacity OF the States under
the Constitution for concerted action. by organ-
tied movements, with all the machinery ready az
hand TO raise armies and establish central
government. And the ultimate failure OF the
attempt is 90 be attributed with equal
clearneSs 20 the exercise OF those powers OF the
General Government, under the Constitution,
which were denied TO IL by extreme advocates II
State rights And that this might no longer be
matter of dispute. three new amendments 10 the
Constitution Mere adopted at the close OF that
struggle which, while keeping In view the punci.
piles OF our complex form OF State ana Federal goS-
ernment. and seeking TO disturb The distribution
OF powers among them as little as WAS consistent
with the wisdom acquired 10y Sorrowfui expert
ence. these amendments confer additional powers
on the government OF the Union. and place addl-
tional restraints unon those OF the states MAY it
be long before such an awful lesson IL again needed
TO decide upon disputed questions of constitutional
law.
1t is not out OF place 10 remark that while the
pendulum OF public opinion has swung With much
force away from the extreme point of state rights
doctIine. there may be danger OF Its reaching an
extreme point on the other side. In my opinion,
the lust and equal observance of the rights OF the
states and or the General Government, as defined
by the present Constitution Is as necessary TO the
permanent prosperity OF our country. a. 10 It's
istence for anot her century as n has been tor the
one whose close we are now celebrating.
After referring 10 the fact that our Constitution
had whilst oOd the shock of three wars and the
vast consequences which resulted from the last
In which 3Ooooo0 slaves were emanclpated, Mr..
Miller concluded as follows:
HIS rERoKATIoN.
DO claim for the Constitution, whose creation
We celebrate to-day. the sole merit OF the wonder
ful eptome which have presented 10 yOI or the
progress OF this country 10 greatness, 10 pros
perlty, 10 happiness and honor: Nay, do not,
though language used 10y men OF powerful intel-
lect aud great knowledge OF history might be my
Justification II did. Mr.. Bancroft, the venerable
historian. who has devoted long and laboriOus
life 10 history OF his country, that Is monu-
ment u his genius and his learning, says OF tbs
closing hours or the convention: 'lhe members
were awe-struck at the result or their councils:
the Constitution WAS a nObler Work than any
one OF them believed possible to devise"
And he preIaces the volume oI his invaluable his
tory OF the formation OF the Constitution with
sentiment OF MIR. Gladstone the greatest living
statesman OF Edgland lie says: "As the British
constitution is the most subtle organism which
has proceeded from progressive history, so the
American constitution In the most wonderful work
ever struck on al given time 10y the brain and
purpose OF man" And While 1 heartily indorse
| this, and feel IL Impossible 10 lind language I'm
which 10 express my admiration and my love for
the Constitution OF the United States, and my
! profound belief that the wisdom OF man, unaided
by inspiration, has produced no writing 50 yalu-
able To humanity, should fail OF a most Import
| ant duty II did not say on this public occasion
| that no amount OF wisdom In constitution can
| produce wise government unless there Is a suita-
bic response In the spirit oi the people
The Anglo-SaXon race, from whom we inherit 50
much that Il valuable in our Character. as well as
our institutions, has been remarkable In all ITS his
tory Tor a love OF law ana order. Ane other pcO-
plies, equally cultivated, have paid their devotion
10 the man In power, as representative OF the law
| which he enIorces, the English people, and we.
| their descendants, have yeneraUed the Law iJselL,
looking past its administrators, and giving our al
leglance and our Obedience To the principles which
govern organized society. IL has been said that "A
dozen Englishmen or Americans, thrown on an un-
inhabited Island, would At once proceed TO adopt
code OF laws FOR their government, and elect the
| officers who were 70 enforce Them And certainly
this proposition is borne out by early history OF
our emigrants TO California, where every
mining camp organized into political
body, and made laws Tor Its own goyern-
| ment, which were so good that Congress
| adopted them until they should be repealed or
modified by statute but repeat the language OF the
supreme Court OF the United States when 1 say
| that Ia this country the Law is supreme. No man
| Is 50 high as 10 be above the law. No officer of
| the Government may disregard IL with impunitv.
To this Unborn and native regard for law, as
| governing power, We are indebted largely for the
wonderful success and prosperity OF our people,
for the security OF our rights and when the high
est law TO which we pay this homage is the Con-
stitution OF the United States, the history OF the
world has presented no such wonder OF a prosper
GUS happy civil government. Let me urge upon
my feliow-countrymen, and especially upon the
rising generation OF them, 20 examine with careful
scrutiny all new theories OF government and OF
social lie, ana II they do not rest upon founda-
tion OF yeneration and respect OF law as the bond
OF social existence let him distrusL them as inim-
ical TO human happiness And now let me close
this address with a quotation from one OF the
ablest Jurlsts and most profound commentators
upon our laws-Chancellor Kent de said, nfty
years ago: "The Government OF the United States
was created by the free voice and Joint Will OF the
people OF America for their common defense and
general welfare. Its powers apply TO those great
interests which relate TO this country In It's
uonal capacity, and which depend for their sta
billty and protection on the consolidation OF the
Union. Ii Is clothed with the principal attributes
or sovereignty, ana IL is justly deemed the guar
dian OF our best rights, the source OF our highest
civil and political duties, and the sure means or
our national greatness"
During the Grafton Mrs. Cleveland occupied q
seat beside secretary Bayard, who gallantly pro-
tected her from the suns smiling with black silk
sun umbrella surrounding the distinguished
persons, the presiding officers chair,
were ex-President Hayes, Mrs. Justice
! Miller, Hannibal Hamlin, Governor Larrabee or
Iowa; Senator Ingalls,. Archbshops Ryan and Cor
| rgan, Governor Beaver and stan, Private Secre-
| tary Lamont and wife, Secretary Fairchild and
wife, Cardinal Gibbons, Bishop Potter, Bishop
Others, forming semi-circle which had pleasing
effect
| AMONG CARDINAL GIBBONS PARTY
| were the following noJables: Bishop Farrell, OF
Trenton; Bishop Gilmore, OF Cleveland: Bishop
| Ryan, OF Buffalo; Bishop keane or Richmond,
rector OF the Washington University; Dr. Foley.
OF Baltimore; keys. Sinnott, or Philadelphia; FttZ
simmons OF Camden, and Marshall, or Seton Hail.
| n. j. AT the conclusion OF the exercises Cardinal
! delivered the benedction-
Cardinal Gibbons BenedictiOn.
| We pray Thee, U God OF might wisdom and Jus.
tice through whom authority is rightly admins
| tered, laws are enacted and judgment decreed as.
sist with Thy holy spirit or counsel and forttude,
| the President or these United States that his ad-
| and be eminenJy useful 70 Thy people over whom
he presides, by encouraging due respect tor virtue
| and religion, by a faithful execution OF the laws
In justice and mercy, and by restraining vice and
| immortality.
Let the light OF Thy Divine wisdom direct the
| deliberations or Congress and shine forth In all
| their proceedings and laws framed for our rule
and government That they may tend TO the
preservation or peace, the promotion OF national
| happiness the Increase OF Industry, sobrlety and
useful knowledge and may perpetuate 10 Us the
| blessings oI equal liberty.
Wepray Thee for ala judges, magistrates and
political welfare, that they may be enabled by
| Thy powerful protection 10 discharge the duties
or their respective stations with honesty and
ability.
We pray Thee especially for the judges OF our
Supreme Court, that they may interpret the laws
with eyen-handed Justice. May they ever be the
faithful guardians oI the temple or The Constitu-
tion whose construction and solemn dedication 70
our countryis liberties we commemorate to-day.
May they stand watchTul and incorruptible
Sentines at the porUas OF this temple shielding s
from PROCLAMATION and hostile invasion.
May this glorious charter OF our civil rights be
deeply imprinted on The hearts and memories Of
our people. May IL foster IN them a spirit of
In national brotherhood the divers that come
TO seek a home among US. May the reverence paid
TO IL conduce TO the promotion OF social stability
and order, and may IL holo the 8gis OF It's protec-
tion over us and the generation yet unborn 50
that the temporal blessings which We enjoy may
be perpetualed.
Grant, o Lord, that our republic, unequaled In
the history OF the world for material prosperity
and growth OF population, may be also, under my